‘Miami Seaquarium needs to be shut down,' ex-vet says, after latest alarming report

A former veterinarian for the Miami Seaquarium is speaking out after another inspection report has revealed repeat violations found at the attraction.

The report from the United States Department of Agriculture highlights numerous repeat and new violations found during a routine inspection back on Nov. 28.

Violations include dolphin pools in disrepair, high counts of bacteria in the water where marine mammals are kept, and numerous areas of black mold growth along with bubbling of paint within the penguin enclosure.

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The USDA also found the facility continues to have an inadequate number of trained employees in the veterinary care department, employing just one veterinarian to care for 46 marine mammals, 50 birds, and hundreds of fish, the report said.

Dr. Jenna Wallace, who was employed at the Seaquarium in 2021, nearly a year before the current management - The Dolphin Company - took over operations, said she isn't surprised about the USDA inspection report.

"Miami Seaquarium needs to be shutdown," Wallace told NBC6. "I don’t know how many more deaths or reports it’s going to take for that to happen."

Nearly a month after the USDA inspection, on Dec. 27, the Seaquarium announced the death of one of its dolphins, named Sundance.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Sundance today after precursors of illness yesterday," the aquarium said in an X post. "Our hearts are with the trainers and medical staff who unconditionally cared for him for more than 30 years."

No other details have been released on Sundance's death.

Sundance's death came months after the Seaquarium's beloved killer whale, known as Lolita or Toki, died from a sudden illness.

"They were trying to force me to become the attending veterinarian and I would then have been responsible for all of those animals, including Toki, the killer whale," Wallace said.

A USDA report released in early November said the Seaquarium is ill-equipped to care for its animals, detailing a number of violations that prompted Miami-Dade County to give the Seaquarium less than two months to get things in order.

Last month, in an exclusive interview, the Dolphin Company's executive director refuted that report.

“We know there are some areas we need to continue working and improving. We know we’ve done a great job working with our animals and continue to improve day to day," Edwin Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said at the time that the facility was recruiting to increase staff.

But the county has now issued two notices of default to the facility, the latest highlighting that the Seaquarium owes more than $87,000 in past-due rent.

"Miami-Dade County shares the community’s concerns for the well-being of the animals at the Seaquarium. We have previously issued two notices of default to the Miami Seaquarium based on recent reports from the USDA," county officials said in a statement Thursday. "We received this newest November 28, 2023 report today, similarly to many in our community. We are extremely concerned about the cited animal welfare violations. Miami-Dade County is thoroughly reviewing this report in order to determine any necessary next steps."

NBC6 reached out to the Seaquarium for comment on the latest report, and they acknowledged the request and sent it for further review.